Washington (CNN) - Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi Thursday dismissed the idea she knows something secret about former House Speaker Newt Gingrich that would disqualify him from being president, saying it's just her "instinct" - based on the public record.

"There's something that I know. The Republicans, if they choose to nominate him, that's their prerogative," she continued. "I don't think that's going to happen."

Gingrich, when asked about the comment Wednesday jumped at the opening to use a leading liberal as a foil and called on Pelosi to "spit it out" if she knows something about him.

Questioned about the hubbub during a news conference at the Democratic Caucus Issues Conference in Cambridge, Maryland, Pelosi steered clear of any indication she knew something the public didn't as a result of participating in an ethics investigation of Gingrich when he was speaker.

"I've said over and over again as far as speaker Gingrich is concerned I refer you to the public record," Pelosi insisted.

The minority leader said the interview on CNN was misconstrued.

"On a separate subject I was saying I know he'll never be president and they sort of combined the two things. Why do I know he'll never be president? Just an instinct I have. So it's all about the public record."

But pressed on any exact contents of the record that could be incriminating, Pelosi told CNN, the public would "just have to go through the record."

"I'm not here to give a roadmap to the public record," she said.

Pelosi was a member of the committee that investigated Gingrich's ethics charges, which resulted in a $300,000 fine for improperly using a college course he was teaching to push his partisan goals. The ethics committee declared the former speaker "reckless" and the House reprimanded him.

Last month Pelosi first raised questions about Gingrich, saying in an interview that she "knew a lot about him" because she was one of four people "locked in the room in an undisclosed location for a year" and that she had gone though "a thousand pages of his stuff."

soundoff(40 Responses)

"Wonder if it was instinct that told her that we would love obamacare once it was passed and had a chance to see what was in it."

You realize her comment was directed at the ignorant GOBPbaggers who kept claiming there were things in the bill that really weren't there, right?

January 26, 2012 04:45 pm at 4:45 pm |

Mike from Calgary

Pelosi's in NOT BITTER since she got supplanted as Speaker! Right!.
Obviously, she and Obama would rather run against a Republican leader who can't think on his feet and who uses loan proceeds, not to grow the company and pay the employees, but rather siphons off $500M and directs it to himself, his sons (no gift tax for Romney), moves money offshore to Cayman Islands and Swiss Bank Accounts, to the MORMON TEMPLE AND OTHER TAX DODGES. Wonder why the US plunged into Credit Crisis and Recession under Bush ... look at how Romney got rich looting target companies, firinf workers, stiffing the creditors. Santorum was Bang on calling Romney a corporate vulture ... ripping off banks, creditors and workers and sending the proceeds to the Mormple.
I thought Mormons were known for polygamy, not for grand looting. Hope Mitt's prior tax returns clarify.

BY@TRUTH,There ya go again,open mouth,insert foot.Are all you Repubs educated like you,do some readin big boy.Pelosi has backed Boehner and Cantor into more corners than I can count,Boehner is toast and so is that Newty,I think he's on some type of anti-depressant,he is so erratic,like some of your heros, Palin,Reagan and Mitch McConall.Close the gate before the nuts get out.Remember also,she at least worked with that jerk Bush,more then you can say about your boys in Congress...

January 26, 2012 04:50 pm at 4:50 pm |

Tony 140

This is a cry by a poor, pathetic woman who is trying desperately to be relevant again. She and Harry Reid have done more to lower the approval rating of Congress than any two people in the modern day.

January 26, 2012 04:54 pm at 4:54 pm |

Hark

This woman is nothing more than a washed up political wart. You want to travel down that road of unethical behavior?......start with this " Hag". Go figure that she represented that sinking ship we call California...Nice state but sinking beyond help due to the politics of people like NP, BB, MW...and the list goes on!

January 26, 2012 04:56 pm at 4:56 pm |

Dominican mama 4 Obama

Nancy Pelosi was an outstanding Speaker of the House. She was respected, knowledgeable, and knew how to "handle" those that she oversaw not be handled by them like Boo-Hoo. She also performed her job without breaking down into crying fits, being overruled by her underlings, and being a drunk. We look forward to restoring her to her rightful place as Speaker. Nancy Wasserman-Schulz has been doing an exemplary job as DNC chair.She gives as good as she gets if not better. She's a pitbull who has done wonders for the image of the Democratic Party, and their fundraising efforts show the results of her leadership.
Outstanding women ready, willing, and quite capable of restoring honor, dignity, and lustre to Congress.

January 26, 2012 05:03 pm at 5:03 pm |

just checking

To truth and nothing but the truth,,,,,,You Rethugs live by a DOUBLE STANDARD.....

January 26, 2012 05:04 pm at 5:04 pm |

Jen06

Anonymous

"Wonder if it was instinct that told her that we would love obamacare once it was passed and had a chance to see what was in it."

You realize her comment was directed at the ignorant GOBPbaggers who kept claiming there were things in the bill that really weren't there, right?
January 26, 2012 04:45 pm at 4:45 pm |
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Could it have anything to do with the fact that no one read it?

January 26, 2012 05:05 pm at 5:05 pm |

The GOP opens mouth and inserts foot

I hope your instincts are right, Nancy! Back in 2000, I honestly thought no one would be stupid enough to vote for Bush, and look at the disaster that followed. However, as bad as the Bush regime was, as detrimental to this country his dictatorship was, Gingrich in the White House would even be worse. That's a hard thing to imagine - someone worse than Bush, but that would be Gingrich.

January 26, 2012 05:06 pm at 5:06 pm |

junior

She is being unfair to us voters. If she nows something that she should say, she should come out and say it. Can't she be penalized somehow for doing this? Are there no congressional rules of conduct for this kind of behavior? Pretty unprofessional 😦

January 26, 2012 05:06 pm at 5:06 pm |

Taran

If she has one more facelift her mouth will be verticle.

January 26, 2012 05:07 pm at 5:07 pm |

Gurgi

@momma4obama, Man, you have some serious blinders on.

January 26, 2012 05:09 pm at 5:09 pm |

Dominican mama 4 Obama

Ms. Pelosi is exhibiting great restraint in stating that her instincts tell her that GinRich will not be President.
She is a very intelligent woman. Her instincts have nothing to do with her assertion I assure you.
Obama 2012.

January 26, 2012 05:09 pm at 5:09 pm |

Paul1st

"Instinct" is the code name for Pelosi's dossier on Gingrich. Instinct plus a SuperPAC means Gingrich cannot win in the general election.

January 26, 2012 05:11 pm at 5:11 pm |

bill major

whats that old bag pelosi know? she dumber than a box of rocks then again whod of thought shed be like crazy glue when trying to get her out of washington